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M.J. Evans

In the Heart of a Mustang

Synopsis

A boy is told that his father was a brave and virtuous man, a soldier who traded his life to save the lives of countless others. He was the man that Hunter needed to emulate. The only problem is the whole story is a lie, all of it. The truth, which Hunter discovers as he begins his sophomore year of high school, is that his father has actually spent the boy’s entire life in jail, paying his debt to society, but not mending his ways.
A wild mustang mare, is rounded up by the BLM. The spring rains had been sparse, the forage on the plains even more so. The mare and her herd are rescued from certain starvation and placed for adoption. In a sandy corral at Promise Ranch, a home for troubled teenage boys, the boy and the mare meet. A weathered, old cowboy brings them together – a mentor for one, a trainer for the other. The bond that forms between boy and horse becomes one that saves the lives of both.

Author Biography

I am a wife, a mom and a grandmother. I am also a competitive equestrian and award-winning author. I especially love to write about horses, both real or fantasy. In 2016, I released, "In the Heart of a Mustang." This story is not a fantasy but it is all about horses. This coming of age young adult novel has won the 2016 Gold Medal from the Literary Classics Awards in Young Adult General Fiction and the Silver Medal in the Nautilus Awards as well as the Silver Medal from Readers Favorite Awards.
My current project is a four-part series titled “The Centaur Chronicles”. I am excited about this new middle-grade fantasy. The first book, “The Stone of Mercy,” was released on Oct. 1, 2016. It has already garnered several awards including the Gold Medal from the Feathered Quill awards. The second, “The Stone of Courage,” was released on April 15, 2017 and has won a Book Excellence Award.
Please visit my website: http://www.dancinghorsepress.com

Author Insight

The Power of Music

Music has a great affect on us, whether positive or negative. It is as though our ears take it in and send its message to every cell in our body. As I'm sure you know, many studies have been done on the affect of music on the brain, our moods, our emotions, as well as its ability to heal us. Here is an example of the healing power of music on Hunter during one of his darkest moments.

Book Excerpt

In the Heart of a Mustang

The struggling teen bent over and flipped up the two latches. Resting in its red velvet coffin, where he had intended to bury it, lay his violin. He felt his hands shake as he reached into the case and picked up the bow. Twisting the adjusting screw at the end of the bow, he tightened the horse hairs. With his left hand cradling the neck and his right hand holding the bow, he confidently pulled the bow hairs across each string. G. D. A. E. All needed tuning. As he had done hundreds of times, he turned the pegs to adjust the tightness of each string. Satisfied that the violin was in tune, he began to play. His fingers, rough from the work and dry, hot air, felt odd as they moved around and pressed on the strings. But the muscle memory he had developed through hours of practice guided him through Pachelbel’s Canon in D. He closed his eyes and let the music carry him away. His body moved with the rhythm of the beautiful concerto. For six minutes the music filled the rustic cabin and embraced his heart. Tears flowed freely down his cheeks as he let the music carry him away. In the music he felt at home. He belonged here.

When the young virtuoso completed the piece, he lowered his violin and bowed from the waist toward his bed. A single pair of hands clapped, and he jerked around, startled to find that he was no longer alone. He quickly wiped the tears from his cheeks with his free hand as he blushed deeply. His cabin mate, Julius, was standing just inside the door grinning at him and clapping.

“Hey man, that was awesome. I really like Beethoven.”

“It’s Pachelbel,” Hunter responded quietly as he quickly turned and put his violin back in the case.